Sanctuary Belize

[moderated] I will be there again around Christmas. I will post pictures of the beautiful dry roads, the new marina, the new clubhouse with pool. I will also post pics of all the new houses already built and those in construction. If you have never been to SB, [moderated]

Hello everyone,

Please calm down.

This is a very long thread.

If there is any inappropriate content on this topic or those who do not respect our terms and conditions, i invite you to please inform us by clicking on the Report button. Our team will do the necessary.

Thank you.
Expat.com team

I know this is a very long thread, but just to offer an opinion - we purchased land not far from SB and we took a private tour of the development about 1-year ago.  This vast development is moving along nicely now and I think a lot of the negative responses are on how SB actually promotes or sells the lots.  For 1 - the lots are not cheap - they are at US/UK prices or higher, but the rub is that they let anyone purchase a lot for little down and make monthly payments - of course financed by SB financial folks. 
Folks who take the tour - stay in the resort just south of the SB, have fun in the sun, etc are easy targets once they spend several days "in the ether" as real estate agents like to say.  Once the purchaser misses a couple of payments - SB can then claim default and resell the lot - no risk to them what-so-ever!  It is a good business model, but can generate some negative feedback.  I also think that many purchasers get disenchanted about the slow pace of the development.  Nothing happens quickly in Belize - nor any other 3rd World Country for that matter.  This development has progressed too far for total default and even it if did - some large development company would buy it up fairly quickly. 
It is our hope that SB will spur further infrastructure changes down in Stann Creek - paving the Coastal Rd - paving Hopkins Village roads - finishing the stalled airport on Placencia Rd. - more shopping, restaurants, etc.  There is an equestrian section of SB that is rapidly building out and hopefully this industry will grow with more demand - tack, hay, feed, transport, vets, etc, etc, etc.
While not our cup of tea - SB does have some good benefits for Belize and maybe in 5-10 years it will be a thriving community.  I just hope most of the lot purchasers are not in the game just to resell the lot at big profits - I feel they have already purchased at market high-points and will only get more $ if the development gets more residents and infrastructure in place.
JR

Kathy, Congratulations on making a safe drive to SB. I read on one of the other boards you had made it. You're braver than I as I don't think I would have the nerve to drive through Mexico on such a long journey knowing that it is very likely that I would at least get shaken down by the police or even worse. I would love to see you post some photos of the progress at SB. I was there in Fall of 2013 and the pool club was in but with no restaurant yet, and the marina was just a lot of docks but no actual building yet. I did read that since the hospital appears to not be on the horizon anytime soon that within SB they were planning to construct an urgent care type facility. Love to see pictures and or hear of the progress. My biggest fear and kept me from purchasing  was it would take a very long time to complete.

Kathy, I'm somewhat disappointed that the photos you promised last December have never shown up. It makes me wonder what really is going on there.

I also got information of your real last name and out of courtesy I won't write it here. But it appears that you are or at one time were an employee of the developer of Sanctuary Belize. Is this true?.

Did you buy in sb?

@I'm done. I'm not sure if your question was for me or not. I visited SB in the fall of 2013, I had a nice time and was able to get a little education about SB plus I visited a few other area's of the country while there. My take was that the project would take 10-20 years to come together at best as the pace of construction was so slow. That's if it came together at all. As time has passed I am very comfortable with my decision not to purchase as it doesn't seem that much progress is being made, which is why I was hoping Kathy would provide us with some pictures as promised and now she hasn't. I also thought that the prices for the lots were rather expensive for a third world country like that. The fact that they were financing with no credit checks or anything else also scared me as I knew this would lead to a high foreclosure rate just as the housing bust here in the states after 2006-2007 when banks were handing out mortgages to anyone based on just stated income. I'm seeing a lot of current lot owners trying to sell on the secondary market, and I can only imagine SB is just taking back lots from people who default and just resell them to someone else. I also understood the tours would be ending by the end of the year yet I see an aggressive schedule of tours still coming up which is not what I thought was going to happen. The other thing that affirmed my decision to not purchase was I was told that a large airport would be coming as well as a hospital and neither has occurred. I understand now that SB is going to build an urgent care type facility but that seems to be years away as well. Perhaps it's right for a much younger person in their 30's-40 ish. But for those of us who want to retire to a paradise I think we would spend our retirement years in a rather isolated area for most likely the rest of our natural lives before this is ever completed.

HI  I'm looking for comments and suggestions for persons who have bought in the Ambergris Bay / Grand Belizean areas on Ambergris. We are looking at several lots and would like to get other perspectives for that area.

if your looking to buy in Belize drop me a line or 2, i can point you in the right direction, been coming going for over 12 years now and I do know whats good and whats bad, if i don't i will know someone who will.

cheers
john

Steve Roberts
Just a quick suggestion. Go there, look at lots and existing homes. NEVER buy in Belize into a development hearing it will be fantastic when finished. It won't happen. I saw recently they were opting lots at construction prices on the Cay similar to the scam at Sanctuary Belize. Don't fall for these type of things. INVESTIGATE anyone and everyone you will be dealing with including real estate agents. I almost fell for a house hunters TV show where a Real Estate agent sold a man a house and after investigating found the man in fact never bought the property but was trying to get people in the area to sell them not yet built time shares. Good luck on your hunting but for me I have moved on to Honduras, Nicaragua or Costa Rica. I really don't know if you can trust anyone in Belize.

@ joemac and Steve
Joe you are right everyone MUST go look, you would be a fool to part with hard earned cash on something you see online, you are just asking to get "Jacked Up", a Belizean term.

OK, Joe's 1st comment, NEVER buy into a development hearing it's going to be fantastic when finished. Let's look at this.
This depends on a few questions you need to ask yourself
Are you doing it for investment or to buy into a great place to retire.
Buying into a development  early brings the best return, you don't have to build, just sit on the land until all the work has been done so to minimise risk
You can always ask the developer if he needs sales to complete his vision or are funds readily available.

Joe it does sometimes happen, I bought into a promise and it has worked out to be more than expected, I just asked the right questions and did a little homework, and the developer was very transparent and open to my questions. Why would a developer be anything else unless hiding something, it's in their interest to be open.

Even with all infrastructure and facilities in place you cannot choose your neighbours, so you may build on a  beautiful development, but what happens if Lots around you are still vacant who's gonna build next door.

There are some great deals to be had on developments in Belize, just perform "Due Diligence" and you should be fine, if you don't you only have yourself to blame.

Sharks just don't swim in oceans, there are Land Sharks that feed on the weak and slow

And this is true in any country, not just Belize, so good luck in Honduras or Nicaragua

Mcagun......seeing all the issues/concerns with Sanctuary in the southern part, what do think about Orchid Bay near Corozal.? I see you are in Corozal and just wondered what the local feel is about this development.  Any input?
We did visit a couple months ago and have been to several different areas in the country. 
Thanks!

hi Mcagun
I would be interested in where u would suggest,we are hoping to visit this year looking at areas and real estate or land.
We are more interested in the Caye's,I thought the same as many others that renting first might be more beneficial.....my husband on the other hand wants to buy land even if we dont build straight away. I dont want to be in a too built up area....something small with ocean view, to retire to in a few years, but could be used as a rental property as well, if we decide to build. my email is cwhatley@shaw.ca

thanks Carolyn

@ Mommy2all6
That's uncanny I am just enquiring about Orchid Bay myself, I want to know more about the place, as a lot of my friends from my area Consejo, have visited by boat and given glowing reports about this place, I do know that lots start from about $54K, it's on Power Grid and has some wonderful amenities.
My only concern is its location, or should I say the ability to get to its location, (by road) the actual location looks fantastic.
The Progresso road, out to this area, from Corozal, is rough and impassible in times of high rain fall, but then so is the Consejo road to my area,  you will need a 4x4 when wet. I think there are 2 hand cranked ferries to cross and have been told you can be waiting a long time either side.
Not yet 100% if it would be for me but the whole vision and design looks great and it's one of the few places that has great management in place and you can talk to real people, real time, there's a chat facility on the website, ask away they are great.
The development is (in my opinion) the best in this area and has seen the most development with home construction

We have friends across the water from Orchid Bay, on the south side of Cerros point who have just started off, developing a large track of land which would mean we had other neighbours.
I would need to get a feel for the place to really see if it was for me or not, and to see if I could cope, so would probably rent a casita or something for a month.

You have some interesting places nearby such as Cerros, Copper Bank, Progresso, Sarteneja, Little Belize, etc, I am sure there is places in these villages to buy daily provisions

@ Cazza1964.
The Cayes are not for me, out my pocket range to be honest, but if money was no option then I would buy the whole of Caye Chapel. If I was to buy on one, on a development it would have to be on North side of Caye Caulker, still laid back, but not sure for how long, just look at San Pedro, Caulker is easily accessible and still realistically priced, Ocean Views on any Caye are going to cost $$$$.

My advise is don't buy until you are sure, things don't move so fast in Belize it will still be there in a few years

You can get Ocean views on the mainland also and there is hundreds of miles of coastline

Depending on if you want to go it alone or on a development will give you more or less option respectively .

One interesting piece of coastline I am interested in and want to investigate more is South of Monkey River Town.

There is also an area of small Cayes, just off the coastline and just north of Punta Gorda which looks interesting.
Remember Cayes cost more in everyway, land, build and living, everything has to get there either by sea or air.

You also have Placencia which I have not been to yet, so cannot really comment, but heard both good and bad, again out my price range, But if not would have to think hard because I know I can get a lot more bang for my buck elsewhere, small and quiet this place is not, and its a long way off from anywhere else by road. There is also a lot of ready developed property on the market in this area, so offloading anything you built would take a while
Again like San Pedro it's about maxed out
But as the saying goes, "horses for courses", so you never know someone somewhere will want it.

Me, I have found my place already, which is North of Corozal, it is quiet, safe, has beaches, has jungle, we'll Its Jungle to me and has great flora and Forna, I caught a Puma on camera not 1/2 mile from my back door, it has some great rivers to navigate and Bays to sail. It has all the amenities I could ask for, not 15 minutes away, by boat, it has a great ex-pat community and best of all for me, it is still realistically priced, it also has some if the best managed developments in Belize and one of the oldest.

Mcagun
Thanks for the input.  On our last trip down, we drove from Cancun to San Ignacio.  On return trip through Corozal, having a few extra hours, we drove out to Orchid bay! as I had seen lots of info online.  Yes, the roads were rough, there were two ferries we had to use, neither roads or ferries would be a big deterrent for us.   
It was nice just "dropping by" rather than being  on a scheduled tour, as we felt we could get a better idea of how things were going.  (Sanctuarys scheduled tours scared me off.)
The condos were beautiful, the entire layout of the community was well planned and organized.  We spoke with a couple residents who recently built and all were happy with the development.

We were very interested in the villas being constructed.  They are opening a canal through the property where villas would have direct access to the ocean, private dock etc.   very nice and expected completion in 12 months.
They have definitely done a great job with the layout of the grounds, the beach and common areas.
One Condo building is complete and new one started, with residents starting to move in. 
It seems as though the development has passed the critical point, with several homes under construction and several occupied.  The casitas are all sold and rented or owner occupied.

From an "outsiders" view, we were impressed, but we know it's always good to try and get locals views, opinions of the developers.

We recently purchased property on Ambergris and using it for rental, which is going well, but Orchid Bay seems to be a much better area for long term living...less crowed...nice beach.

You seem to have lots of info on what's going on in the Corozal area...glad to hear this seems to be a solid development.

Thanks Mcagun
what sort of prices do you think are reasonable for plots of land on the ocean? either main land or the Cayes.It doesnt have to be big I only want a house around 1000sq feet..... Did you rent when you first moved there too?

Cazza,
Good question and one that will see me rebuffed from certain quarters on here, what ever figure I quote.
I personally, would not want to spend more than $50K on a piece of land, where you intend to put up a 1000 foot home.
Just a quick google search will bring up numerous Cayes where you can find property for around this figure, Long Caye for one.

Why not advertise for other interested parties, who may wish to go in on buying larger parcels of beach front or your own Caye and then sub divide it between you all.

Why not start a new thread on here, looking for such people

Money no option then why not splash out $.5 million on your own private Caye.

The old adage, that it's only worth what someone is willing to pay, still rings true, there are lots of property still for sale in Belize, and guess what, it's still for sale because it's priced too high

On another note, I have a friend in the Corozal area who bought, sub divided and developed a small piece of land, he started a number of years ago, less than five I think.
He marketed his lots at a realistic price, marketed them himself and had a presence on site at all times, guess what, they've all sold, every dam one of them.
He is even having influence on market prices in the area, Kudos my friend.

I came to Belize from the UK, because it was in my price range, I hope my children can, if it's for them

Get in early on a development and you will find the best deals, like I said in a post earlier, if you perform due diligence and research, ask the right questions you will be fine, there are still some great developments out there, with great management in place, who have great vision.

thanks again mcagun

where abouts in UK are you from? we are also from NE UK but have lived in Canada for 12 years.

Anyone been to Sanctuary Belize recently?  We r going end of march and interested in any recent experiences.

I was last there in fall of 2013, I would be interested in hearing from you upon your return just how far along things have progressed. The pool club was there, but no restaurant and just a tiny part of the marina was done. Perhaps a dozen or so homes. No buildings at the Marina or anything like that. It's been 18 months or so and I'd like to hear if any progress is going on. That was my fear in not purchasing was that SB becoming a reality would be perhaps decades or more away.
In any case, It is an enjoyable few days and the resort you stay at is lovely, and the staff and other visitors from around the world are nice to meet and hear their story's. I'm sure you'll enjoy the visit.

Be very careful of Sanctuary Belize....do not drink the Koolaid they are handing out on tour (now available at Kanatik- Mango Springs)
Only invest ....
IF you have money to throw away and years to waste then by all means go for it!

any info on SB we plan on doing the tour in early July any info on pricing, attorney fees, title, closing cost and other expenses if we decide to purchase...And is this a very hard sales approach and if you decide not to buy how  hard to get money returned. thanks for any info from those that have attended

how was the tour and what did you think about the development did you purchase and price rang going in early July

can i ask why you say this I plan on visiting early July don't want to waste my time

Don't waste your time and money,  stay away from Sb. If you are looking to invest in property, this is not a good investment. What are you looking to buy? There are a lot of scams out there!

did you viisit the property or do you live in belize will be my first visit down and looking to retire in 24 months

I visited the property and I live in Belize part time.

I visited SB on October of 2013 and I chose not to purchase because I felt that there had been little or no progress and if I did purchase I would be living in a remote area with perhaps no neighbors, shopping, and just construction noise for the next 10-20 years. I recently emailed someone who just visited recently and they confirmed what I thought, nothing has really moved along in over two years. I think a lot of people are buying then get discouraged and default or try to sell their lots. Just look at the amount of resales available in there. I think the developers just resell the lots that people default on. When I went I was told that within 2 years or so there would be a new airport, and "state of the art" hospital being built nearby. Neither of these two things have come to be. If you're looking to retire in 2 years I think I would look at some of the established communities already down there for ex-pats. They are less costly, very nice , and it would be fairly turn key. There is a lot of resales in nice areas of Belize. This way you know what you're buying when you buy. I'm not trying to say don't even visit SB, the visit is interesting and informative and you'll meet some nice people with the same goal as your own. But just don't buy into the beautiful surroundings of the resort your staying at and think this is how life will be every day when you live there. The completion of this is at best decades away and if you're retiring in two years, you don't want to live your retirement years listning to construction and living in a remote area like that. As far as refunds, although they may ask for money before you even go I would say no to any deposit before you even arrive, that was something that sent up a red flag for me when they asked for money as a deposit and I hadn't even visited yet. Other people who were on my tour did put money up ahead of time and the ones I've contacted since did get their money back, so I don't want to imply they would steal your deposit but why put a deposit on something you haven't even scene. Good Luck to you!

any other nice  communities you could recomend

Not sure if you are considering up north, but Orchid Bay  near Corozal seems really nice.  We have visited a couple times and considering purchasing there.  Lots of info online if you want to research that development.

thanks you we are just starting our research and looking for a home we can rent when not there or  a small boutique hotel about 18 to 24 months..thanks william and jenny\

We purchased a condo on Ambergris last year and rent it out when not there.  We've been very pleased with the rental income.  Orchid bay has a rental program with their condos as well, lots to build on and small casitas for sale.

any info on other resorts like sancuturay belize traveling late june frist of july

The naysayers are correct, stay away from Sanctuary Belize...run!

Since other people are mentioning other areas besides SB, including Orchid Bay. I am helping a friend sell her LOVELY casita in Orchid Bay that has been here since pre-construction.  She and her husband want to do other types of travel.  You can reach me through my web site in KNasas City, where I do furnished vacation rental.  I will respond to people who want to see her online ad on Vrbo  and possibly let them view the property while I am here visiting until May 25.

Hi,,, I would like to know more about this. Unfortunately, we will miss you as we don't arrive in Belize until July 6. Please send me more info as we are beginning our search for the perfect place for us
Cheers,
Cheryl Weatherhead

We were not interested in SB, but after looking at many properties prior to purchasing in Belize, my advice is get a reputable real estate agent, find a licensed attorney to handle your closing, and do your due diligence. There are some incredibly beautiful properties in Belize, just be sure you know what you want, and what you are potentially getting yourself into - both legally and in terms of lifestyle.